A reminder to the URochester community that open windows during cold weather can cause pipes to freeze, leading to flooding and significant damage to buildings. University Facilities and Services advises you to ensure that all windows in your area are closed before you leave. This includes classrooms, offices, conference rooms, patient care areas, labs, and other spaces you use. Closing windows in these spaces protects facilities and prevents disruptions to operations.

Anne Brayer, a professor of pediatrics, of emergency medicine, and at the Center for Community Health and Prevention, offers tips for keeping winter play safe for kids.

Claim your free access to Studio Sweat onDemand, a virtual fitness and wellness platform that is part of the University’s wellness benefits. Scenic backgrounds, meditations, and thousands of fitness classes are available to take live or on demand. Email Well-U with questions.

Instructors can apply for up to $12,500 to support the integration of experiential learning or other high-impact practices into two instances of a redesigned or new course. The application deadline for this Teaching Center grant is January 7, for 2026–27 courses. Learn more about the grant.

Art Starts are one-time classes at the Memorial Art Gallery, featuring mini introductory lessons in art-making under the guidance of a teaching artist. All materials, encouragement, and inspiration are included. Choose from felt holiday ornaments, fabric marbling, yoga and art, kirigami shadow box, and more. Classes run December 10 through March 26. Explore the schedule and pricing details here.

Join the Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence for “A Not So Silent Night of Karaoke” on Saturday, December 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. Sing, connect with fellow community members, and raise vital funds to support the institute’s mission of creating more peaceful communities through education, mediations, and community building. Learn more about the event.

The Paul J. Burgett Intercultural Center hosts an LGBTQ life nail-painting party for all undergraduate and graduate students on Thursday, December 11, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in Douglass Commons, Room 305.

School of Arts & Sciences and Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences graduate students can attend a winter break writing retreat from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Rush Rhees Library, December 15 through 17.